West Ham scraped into the FA Cup fifth round with a nervy 1-0 extra-time victory over League One strugglers Burton, though they needed Crysencio Summerville's breakthrough goal and survived playing the final 20 minutes with ten men at the Pirelli Stadium.
Nuno Espirito Santo's struggling Premier League side dominated possession throughout 90 goalless minutes yet failed to find a breakthrough against stubborn opposition sitting 23rd in the English third tier.
West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo reacts
The Hammers peppered Burton's goal with 18 attempts yet managed just five on target, epitomising their ongoing attacking struggles.
Burton's defensive resilience frustrated West Ham repeatedly.
Konstantinos Mavropanos saw a close-range header saved following a corner, whilst multiple shots were blocked inside the six-yard area as the home side threw bodies in front of everything.
Adama Traoré and Callum Wilson both had efforts crowded out by Burton's packed defence, while the underdogs created occasional threats themselves despite ceding 62 percent possession.
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Julian Larsson fired over from a central position, whilst Kain Adom forced Alphonse Areola into action after creating space on the penalty area's edge.
Neither side broke the deadlock before full-time, forcing an additional 30 minutes that West Ham supporters watching their relegation-threatened team desperately wanted to avoid.
Summerville finally delivered the decisive moment five minutes into extra-time. Ezra Mayers drove forward and squared across the six-yard box where the substitute arrived to lift a right-footed finish high into the net from close range - his sixth goal across seven games in all competitions.
summerville
West Ham's relief proved short-lived. Freddie Potts received a straight red card following a foul on Julian Larsson just six minutes after Summerville's opener, leaving the visitors defending their slender advantage with ten men for the remaining 19 minutes.
Burton sensed opportunity and threw everything forward during the closing stages.
Kain Adom struck another effort that Areola saved, whilst Kgaogelo Chauke fired narrowly wide from inside the box. West Ham defended desperately, with late yellow cards for Kyle Walker-Peters, Bradley Collins and Kain Adom reflecting rising tensions.
Barring an on-field scrap near the full-time whistle, with several players involved in the tussle, the Hammers held firm to reach the fifth round for the first time since 2023.
Amidst the on-field battle, a plane flew over the ground demanding David Sullivan and Karen Brady sell the club whilst those inside chanted "sack the board" throughout.
Alphonse Areola criticised in West Ham win over Burton Albion
There were no real 'wow' performers from the scrappy encounter, barring Summerville's phenomenal contribution yet again, with radio presenter Tom Rennie criticising goalkeeper Alphonse Areola despite keeping a clean sheet.
Alphonse Areola of West Ham United celebrates teams goal during the Premier League match West Ham United vs Sunderland
The Frenchman has been left out of West Ham's last two Premier League starting elevens for Mads Hermansen, and Nuno saw fit to recall the keeper today.
Rennie, taking to X (formerly Twitter), slammed Areola for his lack of command inside the area, calling him 'incapable' of catching the ball.
The 32-year-old is out of contract next summer and reports suggest that Areola attracted serious interest from Turkey in the January window.
Even though Areola has been a mainstay for a large portion of 2025/2026, West Ham could have a key decision to make about his long-term future soon, especially since Hermansen is now starting to rival him for a place between the sticks.
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